


Alone

by thelilnan



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Background Character Death, Character Study, Christmas, Fluff and Angst, Loss of Parent(s), M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-29
Updated: 2014-10-29
Packaged: 2018-02-23 03:47:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2532992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelilnan/pseuds/thelilnan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Frederick Chilton was not in the habit of Christmas</p>
            </blockquote>





	Alone

Frederick was not in the habit of Christmas.

Oh sure, he celebrated it; even had fond memories of Christmas mornings as a child, racing downstairs to a modest pile of gifts beneath a gorgeous (real) tree, as his father and mother sleepily followed, hot coffee in hand. In those days he was Freddy and his mother and father doted on him, being their only child and the two of them being impressively wealthy. Freddy Chilton got everything his little heart desired, Christmases and birthdays, and he could safely reminisce on a happy (if lonely) childhood.

Then his father, a surgeon like Frederick had tried to be, got cancer. Pancreatic. Nothing they could do. Happy holidays didn’t last much longer, nor did Frederick’s customary plethora of presents. His father died three years after diagnosis, when Frederick was 17.

He felt bad leaving his mother’s home a few months later, college beckoning him, but the guilt didn’t last. The fissure between them that had formed in the wake of his father’s passing left them feeling like strangers; more so as Frederick confined himself to his studies, endeavoring to be the doctor his father had been.

They lost touch.

Eventually Frederick was informed she’d had a heart attack, just before he finished his first year of medical school. In a way, he was sort of glad. She didn’t live to see her only son drop out of school, failing to live up to the great surgeon his father had been.

Frederick didn’t have happy holidays.

Once he found his niche in psychiatry, Frederick flourished. Still, holidays were sore and he spent them alone, watching a movie and eating a catered dinner, drinking expensive European wines. It was fine. He didn’t need much else. Luxurious presents were a thing of childhood and Frederick didn’t miss them.

He could not convey this resignation to Will, who insisted they got each other presents for the upcoming holiday. They had been dating four months by this point and Frederick had all but moved in, making it hard—as Will said—to keep his present a secret.

"You don’t have to get me anything," he bemoaned for what felt like the zillionth time, "I’ll settle for sex, even. Or a back massage."

"Interchangeable?"

"Absolutely. You have talented hands."

Will laughed, opening the front door for his dogs to run outside, into the snow. Frederick hugged himself and wrinkled his nose at the biting cold wind that swept inside.

"We’re definitely having sex," Will assured him, watching the dogs, "But I also want to get you something."

Frederick stood by his side and greedily absorbed any of Will’s warmth that he could. Noticing this, Will wrapped an arm around the smaller man’s back, kissing his temple. They stood together for a while, huddled together while the dogs played outside.

"You’re not alone anymore," he murmured and kissed Frederick’s ear softly, "Stop acting like it."

Frederick lay his head on Will’s shoulder, responding quietly, “I don’t know that I can.”

Will rubbed his back gently. There was a low whistle of wind and the renewed fall of snow, alerting the dogs outside to retreat to the house before another storm. Inside, as the dogs paraded past, Will held Frederick tight and promised him he wouldn’t have to spend another Christmas alone.

"You can’t promise something like that," Frederick’s throat was tight. Pain he’d long ignored was beginning to resurface.

"I can," Will assured him, ducking in to kiss him softly, "And I am. You’re not allowed to be alone anymore."

Frederick huffed a broken laugh against his mouth, eyes wet.

"Okay."

 

End.


End file.
